Self-Authorization Through Abjection in Gaspara Stampa's Rime

Abstract

This thesis analyses abjection as a mode of self-authorization used by the 16th-century Italian female poet, Gaspara Stampa. I examine Stampa’s 1554 Rime, a collection of poems that detail her tumultuous love affair with Count Collaltino di Collalto, along with several dedications she writes to famous poets and historical figures. Commonly read as an imitation of Petrarch’s Rime sparse, I propose that unlike Petrarch, Stampa’s work is a gendered poetics that places the female voice at the center of a male-dominated lyrical tradition. Ultimately, I argue that operating under the guise of weakness and inferiority, Stampa maintains a dualistic voice by projecting an assertive tone that is both emphatic and dominant through her use of self-deprecating terms. This mechanism serves as the driving force that enables Stampa to self-authorize, produce her unique style, and establish a lineage for future female poets.